Maria
Dustin Chase
“Maria” will complete director Pablo Larraín‘s “Women in Heels“ trilogy, as it’s been called. “Jackie“ and “Spencer“ found their respective leads, Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart, Oscar-nominated. That will repeat for Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (“Girl Interrupted,” “The Changeling”) portraying famed opera singer Maria Calles. Larraín implores the same tactics from the previous two films: gorgeous filming locations, extravagant costumes, and the double-edged sword of fame. One staple missing from “Maria“ is the subdued horror elements present in both “Jackie“ and “Spencer.“ Jolie burns up the screen with diva behavior; what you might not expect is how sarcastically funny Jolie is, thanks to the script from Steven Knight.
The week before her death, the world’s greatest opera singer, Maria Calles (Jolie), is still in complete control of her life, voice, and surroundings. She occupies a lavish apartment in Paris with loving butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino), whom she berates daily for amusement. Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher), the cook and maid, is the source of calm. There might only be three people living there, but it’s very crowded with Maria’s visions, wild personality swings, and sense of unrest. “What is real and not real is my business,“ she quips. Walking the streets of Paris, sitting at cafes, wanting to be adored, the past and present collide in her head. While Ferruccio and Bruna fret over her health, she refuses care and treatment from doctors, determined to die her way.
"Music is born from distress, not happiness."
While Jolie’s voice is used in scenes where the retired singer is supposed to sound anything but her best, Calles’ authentic voice is used in the flashbacks and more impressive moments. It’s a bit jarring to suspend belief that what we are hearing emits from the former Tomb Raider, but it’s the diva moments where Jolie makes this role her own. “Music is born from distress, not happiness,“ Calles tells an interviewer. Larraín uses his unique cinematic abilities to inflate this walk down memory lane marvelously. However, not for one second does this film, or his others, resemble anything remotely close to a biopic. The filmmaker shows off when he brings back Caspar Phillipson, who played JFK in “Jackie,” to portray the president again, bringing this trilogy full circle.
One of the film’s most sobering sequences is Calles visiting one of her favorite cafés because she misses attention from fans. “I’m not hungry; I come to restaurants to be adored.“ The scene doesn’t play out like she intended, giving the audience a real insight into Calles’s mental, emotional, and psychological state before her death. We often talk about films in the context of awards season, looking for specific scenes that awards groups might use during the broadcast. “Maria“ is two full hours of “that’s her Oscar scene.“ The entire film is an audition for what will be Jolie’s third nomination. Larraín stated he would not have made the film without Jolie.
Final Thought
Pablo Larraín's surprisingly sarcastic and deliciously diva "Maria" is anchored by Jolie's vivacious performance as the famed opera singer.